Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt says cricket was his inspiration to excel on the track after watching talented cricketers push themselves and give their all on the field.
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Bolt, whose name is synonymous with speed and world records, ended his career with eight Olympic gold medals and 11 World Championships top-podium finishes, something which no other track and field athlete could ever achieve.
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“For me, I was a huge cricket fan growing up. So, I watched cricket growing up. Watching all the talent of the cricketers growing up and the way they worked and the way they pushed themselves and the way they carried themselves was something that inspired me at a young age to work hard and to be the best that I could be,” said the Jamaican at the Jamnabai Narsee Campus here on Friday.
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Jamaica has produced many legendary cricketers like Michael Holding, Courtney Walsh, Chris Gayle and Jeff Dujon, and they might have had an impact on Bolt. Asked what would be the three words that describe his road to greatness, Bolt, who holds the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, said it was all about hard work for him.
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Also read: My records not under threat for now: Usain Bolt
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“For me, it’s as simple as hard work, you know what I mean? It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to the sport. I love track and field, so it’s something that I loved growing up and I worked very hard onโฆ and it was a tough road because it’s never easy to get to the top, but I really wanted to be the best in the world, so I pushed myself through injuries and doubts and tough times to be one of the best in the world. So, it’s just dedication,” said the 39-year-old Jamaican, who dabbled in a bit of football after his retirement in 2017.
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Most elite athletes, including Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra, have said that defending an Olympic gold is tougher than winning it for the first time, and Bolt agreed. “Oh, I think defendingโฆ I think it’s easier to actually win, but when you’re being chased, it’s actually harder. So, I think defending the second gold was harder,” he said.
